Mercat Tours walk the talk with Fair Tax Mark accreditation
Mercat Tours have been awarded the Fair Tax Mark, joining progressive businesses across the UK and Europe accredited to the gold standard of responsible tax conduct.
Founded in 1985 by a group of history teachers, Mercat Tours offer history walks, ghost tours and private tours across Edinburgh and Scotland.
Providing visitors with “a warm welcome and a damn good story”, their award-winning walking tours include ‘Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile’, ‘Historic Underground’ and the chillingly-titled ‘Doomed, Dead & Buried’.
Mercat Tours Ghostly Underground
The Fair Tax Mark further boosts the ethical credentials of Mercat Tours, which are a Living Wage Employer, hold a gold Green Tourism Award and have previously won the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Responsible Business of the Year Award.
The Fair Tax Mark accreditation scheme is the gold standard of responsible tax conduct. It seeks to encourage and recognise organisations that pay the right amount of corporation tax at the right time and in the right place. Businesses carrying the Fair Tax Mark in the UK include national brands such as Timpson, Lush, and Richer Sounds, listed companies including SSE and Marshalls Plc., as well as co-operatives, family businesses and social enterprises. Businesses in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden also carry certification.
Demonstrating their commitment to responsible tax conduct, Mercat Tours have published a statement that details their tax policy, as well as a commitment to follow the spirit of the law and shun tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning.
Kat Brogan, Managing Director, Mercat Tours
Kat Brogan, Managing Director, Mercat Tours, said:
“Mercat have been part of Edinburgh’s business community since 1985 and we are incredibly proud of our role in making the city a thriving, happy place to visit, live and work. Central to delivering a quality experience is finance – government requires tax revenues to maintain, invest and develop our city. By paying our taxes Mercat have always played our part in Edinburgh being the very best, world-class experience for locals and visitors alike. We will continue to do so, openly and fairly.”
Natasha Turner, Acting Head of Communications, Fair Tax Foundation, said:
“We’re delighted to welcome another Scottish business to our Fair Tax Mark family. While the storytellers at Mercat Tours can bring terrifying tales to life, there’s nothing scary about their tax conduct – and through the Fair Tax Mark they can now demonstrate this.
“Customers will be pleased too, with more than two-thirds of the UK public (70%) saying they would rather shop and work at those businesses that can demonstrate they pay the right amount of tax.”
